Seaside Salvation
by PiratePrincess29
Summary: An alternate ending that picks up at the finale. Mr. Todd can't bring himself to kill Mrs. Lovett so they go to the seaside. But not before dealing with Toby and that 'lad' upstairs who has seen too much... A way to see our favorite couple live. Sweenett!
1. Cause I Love You

**A/N: Ok so you know what scene I'm talking about, it's the finale. But things didn't work out for us sweenett fans and well, I think we deserve a happy or something resembling a happy ending. So, here goes!**

**P.S. I know some people have also played around with this idea but please, no flames, I'm not here to copy anyone. :D Oh and **_**bold italics**_** are songs.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street**

"Don't I know you… she said... You knew she lived."

"I was only thinkin' of you."

"You lied to me."  
**  
**_**"No, no, not lied at all. No, I never lied."**_

"_**Lucy…"**_

"_**Said she took the poison, she did. Never said that she died. Poor thing! **_

"_**I've come home!"**_

"_**Come she lived, but it left her weak in the head. All she did for months was just lie there in bed. Should have been in a hospital…"**_

"_**Lucy!"**_

"_**Wound up in Bedlam instead… Poor thing…Better you should think she was dead."**_

"_**Oh my God!"**_

"_**Yes I lied cause I love you!"**_

"_**Lucy…"**_

"_**I'd be twice the wife she was, I love you!"**_

"_**What…"**_

"_**Could that thing have cared for…"**_

"_**Have I…"**_

"_**You, like me?"**_

"_**Done?"**_

_**  
"Mrs. Lovett, you're a bloody wonder, eminently practical and yet appropriate as always. As you've said repeatedly there's little point in dwelling on the past!"**_

"Now come here…"

"_**Do you mean it?"  
"My love!"**_

_**Everything I did…"  
"Nothing…"**_

"_**I swear I thought…"  
"To fear…"**_

"_**Was only for the…"**_

"_**My love!"  
"Best. Believe me!"  
"What's dead is dead!"**_

__

"_**Can we still be married?"  
"The history of the world, my pet…"  
"Oh, Mr. Todd. Oh, Mr. Todd. Leave it to me!"  
"Is learn forgiveness and try to forget!"  
"By the sea, Mr. Todd, we'll be comfy, cozy. By the sea Mr. Todd, where there's no one nosy."  
"Life is for the alive, my dear. So let's keep living it!"  
(Todd&Lovett)  
"Just keep living it! Really living it!"**_

Mrs. Lovett felt that this would be her last breath. That he would soon push her into the furnace that she had carelessly left open and that she would die an excruciatingly painful death. But she had no fear. Because she was in his arms, now. And, although he sounded cheery, the look on his face was menacing. Like it had been when he wanted to kill the judge. She knew she was next. She was prepared for what was coming. But what she wasn't prepared for was what actually happened.

Mr. T began to push her but she saw tears welling up in his eyes… He let her go and turned his back to her. Mrs. Lovett waited and, cautiously, backed up into the corner, shedding a few tears herself. But then she realized. He hadn't killed her. She wasn't dead. And all she could think about was… why? Why hadn't he done it? It would have been a blessing to her in many ways. Did he not see that?

Without warning, he turned around, razor in hand, a dark glare in his eyes. He stared Mrs. Lovett down and she got up, slowly, but he grabbed her and pinned her against the wall, holding the razor to her throat. She gasped but not at the coldness of the metal or of the fear she was supposed to feel but rather of how close she was to the man she loved. If only it had been under different circumstances… _Silly little nit 'ad to ruin everything! As always… _she laughed to herself.

_Why is she looking at me like that?!_ Mrs. Lovett looked away from his eyes and saw that Mr. T's hands were shaking. He had always been so steady with his 'friends' and she wondered why this time was so different. Once again, his eyes got moist, but he held back the tears and was determined to kill her. _She lied to you about Lucy! It's your last chance for revenge!_ But no matter how many evil things he thought about Mrs. Lovett, there were two things he couldn't bring himself to ignore.

She was the only one who had been there for him. She gave him a home. She took care of him, even though he was cold to her. She housed a murderer in her own home. No one, not even his Lucy, would have done that. That was the first reason. The second… was that he needed her. Not just to do his bidding and get rid of the bodies. But he needed her: the person. He actually enjoyed her company, though he never showed it. Damn it all to meat pies, he loved the woman! And one betrayal (if it was even a betrayal…) was not enough to make that go away.

She looked at him expectantly, waiting to die. But he never slashed her throat. Instead, his arm dropped to his side and he let go of the razor, it landing on the floor with a metallic clank. Mrs. Lovett didn't dare move. She kept still, meeting his unidentifiable gaze. What was he thinking? What she would give to know.

"I… can't." he said to her, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Can't what?"

He didn't answer. He simply walked over to Lucy, got down on his knees, and stroked her hair. Then, he turned his eyes to Mrs. Lovett but they weren't filled with hate only rather with… regret? Could the Demon Barber of Fleet Street really experience such a feeling?

"You were right… It was better I thought she was dead."

"H-How so, Love?"

"She changed too much. She's not my Lucy. When I thought her dead, at least I had something to hold on to."

Slowly, she walked towards him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I tried, Mr. T. Lucy an' I never were friends… but I tried to make 'er remember… for the girl's sake. An' then she was gone. Nothin' I could've done. Nothin' I didn't try, at least."

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what, Dearie?"

"What you said… before…"

"I said a lot before, Mr. T."

"When you said you loved me!" he yelled, tiredly.

"Oh… Mr. T… Of course I did. Everythin' I did was for you. An' lyin' to you was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It 'urt me, too, Mr. T. I jus' wanted us to be a family. You… me… and even Toby. 'E's a good boy, 'e is."

"Say it."

"What?"

He had enough of her feigned ignorance and grabbed her wrist, gently, bringing her down to his level so he could look into her eyes.

"Tell me you love me, Mrs. Lovett."

"I love ye, Mr. T. Always 'ave. Even when…. Even when you were Benjamin Barker. I loved 'im and I love you."

"I… I… can't…"

"Mr. T! Lucy was Benjamin's wife. You said Benjamin was dead. Doesn't Mr. Todd deserve a chance?"

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Well, then… what is it?"

"I want to be able to kill you. I want to strangle you with me bare hands and watch you take your last breath. I want to see the color of life drain from your pretty little face. I want you to pay for what you did. But I can't. I can't do any of it. I want to, believe me, I do. But I can't…"

Mrs. Lovett backed away, looking at him suspiciously. She knew she wasn't free yet.

"Why not, Mr. T?"

But before she could duck away, he got up and grabbed her shoulders, giving her a gentle yet passionate kiss.

"Cause I love you. You would be twice the wife she was. You're a bloody wonder, Mrs. Lovett. Nellie…"

"Do you really mean it, Mr. T?"

"Of course, my pet. I… love you." He said, reluctantly.

"I am sorry about… 'er. But in a way… it's all for the best, right, Love?"

"Right, my dear."

"We'd best clean this up before the police come…"

"Where's the boy?"

"I don't know…"

"You go find 'im. I'll clean this up."

"Alright."

Mrs. Lovett left the bake house in search of little Toby. She found him in the pie shop, huddle in a corner with her rolling pin in his hands.

"There you are, Love!"

"Mum? Is that you?"

"Come 'ere, Toby Dear."

"Where's Mr. Todd?"

"In the bake house. He's takin' care of some things for us. Come here, wont you?"

He got up from the corner and ran to Mrs. Lovett giving her a big hug.

"Now do you believe me about him?"

"No, Darling. Mr. T's been a great big help. We're goin' to be a family now…"

"An' live by the sea?" he asked, perking up.

"Yes, Love. By the beautiful sea. You, me, and Mr. Todd."

"He doesn't like me, Mum."

"Yes 'e does. He just shows it differently, s'all."

"When are we leaving?"

"Right now, Sweet 'Eart. So go and get your things and I'll get Mr. T and we'll meet outside, alright?"

"Ok, Mum!"

In the meantime, Mr. T was in the bake-house. After having disposed of the judge, he kneeled by his precious Lucy's side and tried to remember the good old days.

_He and Lucy were walking in the park and they saw Mrs. Lovett. Why was she always on his bloody mind?! Anyway, as he passed her by, he could have sworn that he saw a single tear run down her beautiful face but Lucy's words shook him out of his reverie. _

"_What shall we name her, Benny?"_

"_How do you know it'll be a girl?"_

"_I just know it. And she'll have your eyes. And my hair. She'll be beautiful."_

"_Like her mother."_

"_You're so sweet. And I'm sure that all the boys will be flocking to her."_

"_I'll soon see to that, my love."_

"_You're going to be such a wonderful father. And besides! Should we ever need to go out, Mrs. Lovett can always watch her for us. What with her poor Albert gone, she's hardly got anything to do but run the shop."_

"_I think she's glad Albert's gone. Don't you remember how cruel he was to her?"_

"_Well, yes but… I see her cry all the time."_

"_I wonder why."_

"_Well, you're her friend… why don't you ask her?"_

"_I needn't worry about other people's troubles, my love. I have our little girl to worry about."_

"_Our little girl will need a name."_

"_And I will think of one… Wait. How about Johanna?" he said, recalling how Mrs. Lovett had said it was her favorite name for a girl, if she were ever to have one._

"_I love it! Oh, Johanna… we love you, Dear."_

_Then, he recalled the first few months after Johanna was born. He remembered the cleaning, the crying, the holding. The joy of being a new parent. But then he remembered the quiet sobs that did not come from his newborn daughter. But from his beautiful (did he just say beautiful…?) landlady. This time, he decided to worry about her instead of his daughter's cries._

"_Mrs. Lovett? Are you alright?"_

"_Benjamin! What are you doin' 'ere? Shouldn't you be with your… family?"_

"_I thought I'd spare a moment. You've been crying, I see."_

"_Oh, that. It's nothin', Love. Just…"_

"_Just what?"_

"_I'm jus' lonely, s'all."_

"_Don't worry, Nellie. I'm sure you'll find someone, someday."_

"_Yeah… 'ow 'bout that. You see, Mr. Barker, the thing is… I think I already 'ave."_

"_Really? That's wonderful! Who?"_

_She didn't say anything. All she could think to do was what she did. She got up from her chair and walked up to Benjamin, a determined look in her eyes. Without warning, she planted her lips on his in a gentle, loving kiss. At first, he returned it… until Johanna's incessant cried pierced the room. He pulled back, looking at her like she had committed a horrible crime._

"_I'm sorry, Ben, I…"_

"_It's Mr. Barker. And I have a wife."_

"'_Ow could I forget?"_

"_Oh my, Lucy…"_

"_Relax, Mr. B. What Lucy doesn't know won't 'urt 'er. And I promise. It won't 'appen again."_

"_Is this why you've been crying?"_

"_I jus' miss the way things were. Before you got yourself married and with a child o' your own."_

"_I'm happy, Mrs. Lovett. Does that not mean anything to you?"_

"_O' course it does! I'd 'ate to see ye unhappy."_

"_I'd best be going back."_

"_Do forgive me, Mr. B. I didn't mean it… I mean, I did but…"_

"_I know…" and with that, he left. But not before muttering under his breath… "Meant a lot to me, too."_

Then, Mr. T realized that all of the memories he had, somehow, Mrs. Lovett could be found in all of them. She seemed more like his reason and his life than this beggar woman in his arms did. Then, without a thought, he picked up the dead body of his once-was wife and threw her into the fire, never looking back. And he left the bake-house but not before saying goodbye to his beloved Lucy...

"Tell Benjamin I said hello."

Mr. T left and went to the washroom to clean himself up and was about to go upstairs to get some new clothes. But by the time he emerged frm the bathroom, Toby was dressed and ready to go. The boy was actually growing on him. There would be no need to introduce the lad to his 'friends'. 

No need at all. As long as he kept his mouth shut… but then again, this was Toby. And Toby was never one to keep his mouth shut. Mr. T furrowed his eyebrows, thinking hard for a plan until finally, it hit him: stock up on the gin.

Mrs. Lovett walked into the room and saw Mr. T smiling darkly and nudged him with her elbow.

"Mr. T, you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine! I've just got to go change..."

"Alright, Dear. Well, you 'urry up and we'll wait right 'ere."

Without a word, he started going upstairs and walked in until he saw him. That stopped Mr. T in his tracks. He had completely forgotten about that boy who had seen him kill the judge. And he was in... Anthony's arms?

This puzzled him greatly. Until he saw a lock of blonde hair escape from under the "lad's" hat...

**A/N: Ok so I'm totally apologizing for the excruciating length of that chapter but I really want you guys to get a sense of what I'm going for here. Review! Let me know if you liked it, loved it, or hated it. :D Oh and this is NOT a one-shot. There will be more chapters, I promise!**


	2. A Fine Time To Be Alive

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews, they make my day. I really love all the feedback and I'm so glad you all like this story. Keep reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street**

"Anthony." He said, incredulously.

"Mr. Todd, please tell her that you're not a murderer. That she must be mistaken."

"She…?" he asked, not believing it… not believing that it could be true.

"Yes, Johanna."

His heart grew warm… until he realized that he had just threatened to kill his daughter. And he would have done it had it not been for Mrs. Lovett's piercing scream. How could he be a father to her, now?

Johanna shifted in Anthony's arms and turned to look Mr. T in the eye and what he saw devastated him. Fear. It was pure fear in her young eyes. He then realized that he would never get his daughter back. Her father died 15 years ago. Sweeney Todd was no father. And after what he had done, what she had seen… she wouldn't accept him.

"I'm telling you, Anthony… He killed Judge Turpin. And for that, Sir, I am ever grateful but then he threatened to kill me, too. I was so frightened!"

"It's alright, Johanna. Whatever you saw… or thought you saw it wasn't real."

"But it was! Tell him, please! I've had far too many people thinking I'm crazy… Please, Mr. Todd… tell him." She pleaded, looking at him with innocent eyes that simply broke his heart.

"Yes. She's telling the truth."

"You threatened her?" asked Anthony.

"I thought she was some lad! I didn't know… I didn't want to go to prison _again_…" he caught himself before he continued. And he hoped that Anthony hadn't picked up on that last little bit but, with his luck, he most likely had.

And he did. He gave Mr. T a questioning look.

"Mr. Todd… I wonder… was that story you told me at the docks about you?"

"Yes… I apologize Johanna." He said, choking on her name. "I never meant any harm. The judge is out of your life now. Go. The both of you… _Go!_" he shouted, at last.

He didn't know for how much longer he could stand having his daughter leave his life forever. It hurt him. It hurt him so much to think that he would never see her pretty little face with that beautiful yellow hair gently framing it.

"Wait, Anthony…" Johanna let go of his hand and walked up to Mr. Todd, hesitantly.

"Why did you kill him?"

"The judge?"

"Yes. "

He was going to tell her the truth. He wanted to. But it wouldn't be right. She deserved to live a life free of ghosts and past regrets. She deserved a better life than the one he was forced to live.

"Anthony told me of your troubles. And the judge, he… he's been the cause of my troubles as well."

"I will leave as soon as you answer me something."

"Alright."

"Who is that woman in the picture?"

Mr. T's insides clenched as he eyed out of the corner of his eye the picture of his beautiful Lucy. His dead Lucy. But she had been dead long before he ever killed her. He turned back to Johanna and narrowed his eyes. Could it be…? Could she know…?

"Who is she?"

"My wife. But she's gone, now."

"What happened to her, Sir?"

"She's dead…"

"That woman… who was here before… was she…?"

Anthony grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the door.

"Johanna, we have to go. The coach is waiting for us, he'll leave soon."

"Alright."

"Thank you Mr. Todd. I'll be seeing you, my friend."

"Goodbye Anthony… I wish you both the best."

With a nod from Anthony and a small smile from Johanna, they left the shop and consequently, his life… _forever_. It was only after she was gone that he realized for the first time in 15 years, he and his wife and daughter had been in the same room. Just like a family. _A broken family_, he thought grimly. And now, he had a new family to take care of. Mrs. Lovett and Toby were all he had now. And he wouldn't let them down.

He refused to break their heart. He refused to lose them. They were all he had. They were always all he ever had…

After changing into a clean, bloodless shirt, he grabbed his coat, some other shirts, and the picture of Lucy and Johanna. But after thinking on it, he put the frame back in its original place and gently caressed the photo. He truly missed them. He missed what they had, their happiness. But it was all gone now. And it was time to move on. He would finally have to move on.

Leaving the frame behind, he walked down the steps and found Toby holding all the gin his little hands could carry and Mr. T went out to find a coach to take them to the sea.

While Mr. T was out, Mrs. Lovett looked at her dear Toby and a proud motherly joy overcame her. She was so proud of her son, always protecting her, sticking up for her. He really was a good lad. And whatever young lady he would snatch in the future would be very lucky. She just hoped he would never replace her with someone else in his life. She loved the boy. She really did. She thought Mr. T did too… and perhaps he does, but in his own way. After all, who could deny someone like Toby any affection?

"Mum?"

"Yes, Love?"

"Where'd Mr. T go?"

"To get a coach, Dearie. We'll be leavin' soon. A new 'ome. We've got the money and 'opefully, we'll 'ave enough."

"I can sell the gin… if we have to, that is. I really want a house by the sea."

"Me too, Darlin'. But don't worry 'bout the money. We'll take care of it."

"There's Mr. Todd now." He said, watching an approaching figure.

Mrs. Lovett squinted her eyes and put a relieved look on her face, glad that Mr. T had finally returned. As he neared them, she noticed that he was being followed by a coach and that he had a solemn look on his face. Johanna and Anthony's coach passed right by them and the way he watched his daughter leave his life forever broke Mrs. Lovett's heart.

She recalled the day that little Johanna was born and how happy Benjamin had been.

_Benjamin walked in with Lucy who was holding a baby in her arms. Mrs. Lovett immediately walked up to the young couple._

_"She's beautiful, isn't she?" observed Lucy, while Mrs. Lovett looked in awe._

_"That she is. Congratulations, the both o' you." She said, wishing that she could be in Lucy's place and have the husband, the child… the bliss._

_"Her name is Johanna." She announced, matter-of-factly._

_Mrs. Lovett choked on her words but was able to mumble "J-Joanna? Wonder who came up with that one.", eyeing Benjamin._

_He felt bad for Mrs. Lovett. Poor dear couldn't have children and it wasn't as though her Albert wanted any. He could barely tolerate her, seeing as she was so much younger than he was. She was a pretty thing but not nearly as pretty as Lucy. Well, perhaps as pretty as her… but in a different way._

_"I know you like the name, Nellie. I thought you wouldn't mind if we…" he started, apologetically. _

_"No, not at all. S'fine with me. S'long as the little dear does the name justice."_

_"Would you like to hold her?" he asked, receiving a warning look from Lucy._

_Mrs. Lovett noticed this but didn't care and nodded her head profusely. Reluctantly, Lucy handed over the baby to Mrs. Lovett who held her close, looking at her sleeping figure adoringly._

_"Be careful, Mrs. Lovett. She's very fragile." she said, frantically.  
_

_"I know." she replied, annoyed and fascinated at the same time.  
_

_Benjamin couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness for his landlady because he saw how much she was fascinated by his daughter and how much she had always wanted a child of her own. It was just one more reason for her to be envious of his Lucy. And he had to admit that, at times, Lucy was a bit of a superficial ditz and that Nellie was good company. But he adored his wife. She was everything to him._

_Mrs. Lovett looked at the small child in her arms and wished that she could one day bear children. But not with Albert… with someone like Ben. If only… but no. Lately, she had decided that dreaming would get her nowhere. So, before she got _too _attached, she gave the baby back to Lucy, who was relieved that her daughter was no longer in Nellie's arms._

_"Goodnight, Mrs. Lovett." Said Ben._

_"G'night… Goodnight, my love." She replied, once he was already upstairs, of course._

Remembering that night, she pulled Toby even closer to her and put her arms around him, kissing him lightly on the head.

"Toby?"

"Yes, Mum?"

"I love you."

Toby's eyes widened and he smiled at her, nodding his head.

"I love you, too, Mum."

Mrs. Lovett's eyes started to water and when Mr. T approached her, he gave her a questioning look, wondering what had happened while he was gone. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and Toby even smiled at Mr. T.

"Are you alright… Nellie?"

"I'm fine! In fact, Mr. T… I couldn't be 'appier! S'a fine time t'be alive, isn't it?"

"Whatever you say, my pet. Hurry up. The coach's here." he said, stifling a laugh.

"O' course. Come on, Love." She said, holding on to Toby's hand.

Together, they got into the coach and Mrs. Lovett put her hand on Mr. T's arm, smiling sympathetically. Toby was immersed in his own thoughts and wasn't paying any attention to them.

"I'm sorry 'bout Johanna, Love. I know 'ow much you loved 'er."

As he was about to respond, Lucy's voice came into his mind. And along with her voice, a memory.

_"Her name is Johanna."_

He remembered how sad Mrs. Lovett had been that day and how bad he felt for her, knowing her problem with bearing children. He looked at Toby and then back to her, realizing that finally, she got her wish. She had a son. And Toby was a good boy. Perhaps someday, they could even be a family…

"Mr. T? Can you 'ear me?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Nellie. I… Thank you. But I know she's in a safer place now."

"You're right. That Anthony seems t'be quite a catch. An' 'e obviously adores your girl so…"

"I think I'll write to him once we get to… wherever we're going."

"What'll you say?"

"I'll tell him how happy we are."

"An' just 'ow do you know we'll be 'appy?"

"I already am." He said, smiling faintly, putting his arms around her, pulling her close.

"Me too, Mr. T. Me too." She said as she fell asleep on his shoulder.

**A/N: Ok so yeah, no cliffhanger. The next chapter should be up soon but it all depends on you and your reviews! So click that little blue button and make my day! :)**


	3. Not A Dream

**A/N: I don't know where to start! 2 chapters and ALREADY 14 reviews? I'm SO happy this story is getting good feedback, I'll definitely devote more time to it. Thank you so much to all of my readers and reviewers, you mean the world to me! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sweeney Todd.**

Mrs. Lovett had never been one to get emotional. She had learned from a very young age that when things don't work out the way you wanted, you should stay strong. Crying is a sign of weakness. But on this England morning, she was crying for an entirely different reason. They were tears of joy.

She woke up to find that Mr. Todd _did_ have his arm around her and they _were_ on their way to the sea.

It wasn't a dream… It was real.

She smiled at Mr. T's facial expression. His nose was scrunched up and he flinched every so often but other than that, he was sleeping peacefully. He was a beautiful man, especially when he wasn't lusting after blood and vengeance. But Mrs. Lovett felt that he had gone through a second epiphany last night when he realized that they really could have a life together. That he had to let go of the past and look towards the future.

Then, she looked over to Toby. Dear, sweet Toby who was also sleeping peacefully. She hated keeping those secrets from him, about what had gone on in her shop all this time. She figured he knew too much already. Still, he was a simple thing and was absolutely devoted to her so he probably wouldn't say anything.

As her gaze shifted from her son to her… well, she didn't know what to call Mr. T but decided on 'accomplice' (for the time being, anyway), she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She didn't want to set them free but as Mr. T tightened his grip on her, sighing contentedly, it was no use. One by one, tears of joy made their way down her face that was now pressed against Mr. T's shoulder.

Her sniffles caused his eyes to open ever so slightly and, as if by instinct, he placed a small, gentle kiss on her forehead. She froze at the gesture and looked up to see his brown eyes staring down at her, almost lovingly. Almost. He had said that he loved her. But she didn't know whether it had been on impulse or whether or not he actually meant it. Because it was possible he only said that to get over the shock of Lucy's death. _Damn that little nit_, she thought to herself. _Even when she's dead and gone she still 'aunts me thoughts. _

Quickly, she pushed aside any thoughts of that conniving beggar and replaced them with happy thoughts, like how Mr. T was caressing her face, brushing her hair behind her ear. She smiled and closed her eyes, sighing happily.

"Mornin', Mr. T."

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, almost sounding like… Benjamin. _Yes,_ so much like him…

She raised an eyebrow at this but chose to ignore it, thinking it was too good to be true.

_Could 'e really 'ave 'ad a change o' 'eart? Is 'e back?_

"I sure did. An' you?"

"I can't complain."

"It got cold las' night. I was worried 'bout poor Toby but 'e seemed fine. Didn't you get cold, Love?"

"I had you warming me up." He said, not failing to notice the blush that crept up her cheeks.

"Aw, Mr. T. You flatta' me, Dearie."

"We should be getting there soon."

"Where're we goin', anyway?"

"The sea."

"Well, I know that, Silly! But where?"

"A little city called Dunville. It's by the sea, like you wanted."

"'Ow'ed you 'ear 'bout it?"

He swallowed hard. He didn't want to mention her name ever again. The way she betrayed the preciousness of marriage. The way she had become a beggar in the streets, selling herself for measly alms. And he was sure that Mrs. Lo-… Nellie didn't want to hear about her either. So…

"Anthony visited there once. Told me about it on the way here from Australia."

"'E's a nice lad. So, did 'e tell you what s'like there?"

"I don't know much about it myself, pet, but… he said it was his mother's favorite place in the world." Lucy's mother's favorite place in the world…

"It sounds lovely, Dear. Oh look, 'e's up." She said, watching Toby yawn and stretch as he awoke from his clearly comfortable slumber.

Toby looked up and saw Mr. T and Mrs. Lovett all cuddled up and blinked his eyes a few times before registering that he wasn't just dreaming… that they really were getting along. And Mr. T was… _smiling_?! No, it couldn't be… but he was, he was actually smiling at him and subconsciously playing with Mrs. Lovett's locks of hair.

He couldn't _help_ but smile as he watched the young boy's face contort in obvious confusion as to his behavior. He himself could not explain what happened… but he was happy that, whatever it was, had led him here. He felt free. He felt free from Lucy, from the judge, from vengeance… He felt free to be happy.

"Mornin', Mum. Mr. T."

"Mornin', Love. Did ye sleep well?"

"Oh yes, Mum. A nice coach this is… but are you sure we have the money?"

"'M positive, Darling. Mr. T says we'll be there soon an' I can only 'ope 'e's right. Me poor bones 'ave been sittin' in one place for far too long."

"I'll fix that. Excuse me, Sir." He said to the driver, "We'll be getting out here."

"We will? Isn't it too far to walk, Love?"

"No, we're almost there, I'm sure of it. Besides… you said your legs needed some stretching, did you not?" he whispered huskily into her ear. "I'm sure we could take care of that later, my pet, but it's not the right time, if you get it."

She just nodded as her pulse began to quicken and his eyes clouded over with passion and desire. And to think that all this was meant for her? That Sweeney Todd could ever feel a scrap of affection for her used to be a dream that would never come true. But now, it didn't seem so far-fetched.

He paid the driver and got out of the coach, helping Toby and Mrs. Lovett out as well. Her eyes squinted in the sunlight but she looked around and clapped her hands excitedly.

"Oh, s'a beautiful day, ain't it?" she said, captivated by the sight around her.

"It's grand." He replied, still looking at her lovingly.

"That it is." Piped up Toby. "Say, Mum? Where exactly are we going to live now? And are you goin' t'open up a pie shop 'ere, too?"

"Oh, I don't think so, Dearie. S'not me specialty anymore. I think me pie-bakin' days be over. But Mr. T might open up a new shop 'ere, eh, Love?"

"Perhaps." He said, for the first time realizing that he was sounding rather… nice. _Too nice_, he thought. Too nice indeed.

He observed the pride and sense of victory that Mrs. Lovett now radiated with. And it killed him to think that she thought that she won. That, now that Lucy was dead, she could just take her place. No, Lucy would always have a place in his heart. But he knew deep down that it was just a matter of time before Mrs. Lovett crept in and erased her from his memories.

And something told him that he would gladly let her into his heart but he was Sweeney Todd so... did he have a heart? He just didn't know.

Mrs. Lovett saw a post office and decided to go inside and ask about where to get a house while Toby and Mr. T were outside.

"You know, Mr. T... Mum really cares about you."

"I know."

"So I'm just makin' sure that you ain't gonna use her, you know? That you won't break her heart."

"That's hardly somethi--..."

But before he could answer, he saw someone pass by and, after a second look, gawked at the poor individual in utter disbelief.

**A/N: Sorry it's such a short chapter, I promise the next one will be longer! Cookies to whoever can guess who the person Mr. T sees is!  
**


	4. I Saw Them

**A/N: Well, hello my faithful readers! Sorry for the long wait in updates but it was my birthday this weekend (sweet 16, loves!) and well, I just didn't have the time so I'm really sorry! And as for the mystery person, you should have thought more outside the box so no, no one got it right, surprisingly. So what if nearly the whole cast died? **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street**

**Spoiler: Who ever said that the mystery person was real?**

* * *

Mr. T stood with his mouth agape and watched as the woman passed him by without even looking at him. Was it…? No… it couldn't have been. But… Lucy?

He was more confused than ever. Lucy was dead. He had _killed_ her. She was gone. And yet, here she was in all her virtuous radiance just as she had been the day he left for Australia. She wasn't a poor beggar woman anymore. He began to follow her and when she turned around, he realized he must have been mistaken. But a moment ago… she _had_ been Lucy.

"Excuse me, Sir, is there any particular reason as to why you're staring at me? _And_ following me?"

"Pardon me, ma'am. I… you look like someone I knew."

"Well, I should hope I don't." she said, turning away to leave.

Mr. T was rendered speechless as he looked at the woman and finally accepted that it wasn't Lucy. But he had seen her! It had been her. He felt a heavy weight down in his stomach and hoped that Mrs. Lovett would hurry up and get out there so they could be on their way.

Toby watched Mr. T curiously.

"Are you alright, Mr. T?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine…"

"You sure? Ya seem a bit jumpy, if you ask me."

"I said… I'm fine." He repeated in an icy tone of voice.

Just then, Mrs. Lovett came out with a bright smile on her face. She eyed Toby's dissatisfied face and looked to Mr. T, confused as to his change of demeanor.

"Mr. T, Love?"

"What?"

"We've found a nice little bed an' breakfast we can stay in 'til we find a place of our own. You alright, Dearie?"

"I'm fine."

"Why, you look s'though you've seen a ghost!"

And he had… Or he thought he had. Figuring it was probably just his mind getting the best of him, he followed Mrs. Lovett as she walked around, looking for their lodgings.

They walked the streets of the seaside town and came upon an ivory house with a B&B sign on the neatly manicured lawn. Mrs. Lovett knocked on the door and a jolly, old man opened the door. He smiled at what appeared to be a nice family and made a bowing motion.

"Welcome! Are you folks new around here?"

"We sure are, Sir. We're lookin' for a place to stay 'til we can afford our own 'ome. Do you 'ave any rooms?" Mrs. Lovett asked, happily.  
"Certainly! For such a charming family like you. You see, we're a family lodge here. My wife and I run it. There's plenty of rooms so help yourselves!"

"Thanks! S'very kind of you, Mr…"

"Mr. Fordings, Missus. And you'd be?"

"I'm Mrs. Lovett, Sir. This ere's Mr. Todd, an' our boy, Toby."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Todd. A fine lady you've got here."

Mr. T didn't even notice the hand that had been extended to him. He was too immersed in thoughts of how it was possible that Judge Turpin had found them in this small city. How he was still alive… He stared at the man, narrowing his eyes in anger. How dare he live… How could this be happening? Why was he alive?

And then, right before his eyes, Turpin turned into a simple old man with a confused look on his face. Mrs. Lovett scoffed at him disapprovingly and smiled apologetically to Mr. Fordings.

"I apologize, Mister. Me Mr. T's quite the character, you see. 'E's 'ad a long day, 'e 'as. Isn't that right, Dearie?"

"Yes… Forgive me, Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said, finally taking the man's hand and gripping it tightly.

Mrs. Lovett smiled nervously and held Mr. T's arm, pulling him aside.

"We won't be but a moment, Mr. Fordings. Jus' goin' to talk to 'im for a bit. You go on in, Toby. 'Elp the man with the bags."

She led Mr. T to the side of the house where neither Toby nor Mr. Fordings could hear them. Her expression changed from soft to fierce in one split second and he was a tad bit frightened of whatever was coming next.

"What do you think you're doin', Mr. T? Are you tryin' to ruin our reputation already? We jus' got 'ere! People are friendly. Don't go ruinin' our chances at a new beginning. Now, what's wrong with you, Love? Out with it!"

"I… I saw them."

"Saw who?"

He took a large gulp and looked at her with vulnerability. He knew this would hurt her… but he had to tell her the truth. He had to.

"Lucy and Turpin. I saw them. I don't know how, Nellie, but I did, I saw them. First while you were in the post office. And now… Now. Before, that Mr. Fordings was Turpin, I swear it. You have to believe me."

Mrs. Lovett looked at him disbelievingly and huffed at his comments.

"Do ye 'ear yourself? You're going mad! Want to know what I think? I think the guilt's startin' to catch up with ye, Mr. T. Either that… or you've really lost your bonkers. Which seems more likely, but s'beside the point. Now… straighten up, Dearie! You can't 'ave people thinkin' you're crazy already."

"I'm not crazy!" he yelled, much like he used to back at the pie shop. "I just… I know it was them, I saw them. Do you think…"

"I'll tell you what I think! I think we need to get back inside and ye need to toughen up! I never thought I'd 'ave to say this again but you're too paranoid, Mr. T. Calm down. We're 'ere for a new life. Leave the old one behind. Can ye do that?"

He pouted like a child that had just been scolded and nodded meekly. Mrs. Lovett's happy demeanor quickly returned and she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the house.

"Now… let's meet Mrs. Fordings, shall we?"

"I think you should be Mrs. Todd…"

"What?!" she asked, tripping over a rock, turning around crashing into his chest. "What did you jus' say?" she asked, not sure if she had heard correctly.

"No, not like that! I mean, for the sake of appearances and all that, I think that you should pretend we're married. It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?" he replied, his voice sounding sharper and harsher than he had intended it to be.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Imagine what people would say. Since you care about our reputation so much, you don't want people to think we're a broken family, do you?"

"Of course not. Wait… does that mean? Toby…"

"We'll say he's ours. Adopted, of course. And we just got married before moving here."

After a moment of thinking, she smiled approvingly and gave Mr. T a kiss on the cheek.

"Mr. and Mrs. Todd it is." She exclaimed nonchalantly but inside, she was screaming with happiness and jumping with joy.

She took his offered arm as they entered Mr. Fordings' home and when Toby saw the two hanging on each other, he just looked at them with obvious curiosity.

And when Mrs. Fordings walked into the parlor, Mr. T wrapped his arms around Mrs. Lovett and gave her a mind-bending, ardent, passionate kiss that both surprised and pleased her. She quickly responded but had to stop when the clearing of someone's throat resounded in the room. Once she recovered, she looked to see Mrs. Fordings smiling mischievously.

"Newlyweds." Mr. T said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, I see. Congratulations."

Toby was as confused as ever but followed Mrs. Fordings into the kitchen where she had promised to give him some cookies. Mr. T and Nellie followed, hands tightly entwined, and he leaned into her ear, his breath hot and inviting.

"For the sake of appearances…"

"Right… appearances." She said, still trying to catch her breath and comprehend what had just happened.

All Mr. T could think of was how long he had been waiting to do that and how he finally had a reason to do it without her making too big a deal about it. _Finally_…


	5. IMPORTANT NOTICE

Hey guys! So sorry for this very abrupt piece of news but I will be away for the next 2 weeks on the greatest vacation of my life! (hawaii!!)

And so please don't get upset if I can't update, but I am taking my laptop so I WILL try but I can't promise anything.

I just found out, it was a HUGE surprise and I hope you all have a wonderful next 2 weeks and I hope to be able to read and review the stories I have been keeping up with! I would not miss that for anything.

Virtual rum as consolation! :)

Hugs,

Anna


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